Cartridge guide and stop for machine guns



June 28, 1938. s G GREEN 2,121,74

CARTRIDGE GUIDE AND STOP FOR MACHINE GUNS Filed May 12, 1937 Inv Entmr Samuel E Green Attorney Patented June 28, 1938 UNITED STATES CARTRIDGE GUIDE AND STOP FOR MACHINE GUNS Samuel G. Green, Gray, Ga.

Application May 12, 1937, Serial No. 142,172

16 Claims.

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment -to me of any royalty thereon.

The subject of this invention is a cartridge guide and stop for machine guns.

In the operation of machine guns the correct positioning of the cartridges for presentation to the breech bolt eliminates malfunctions due to improper feeding.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive member having means for determining the correct longitudinal and vertical position of either a ball or blank cartridge.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this speciflcation.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cartridge feedway of a. machine gun, the cover being removed to show the improved cartridge guide and stop member.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a. plan view of the guide member.

Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation.

Figs. 6 and '7 are sectional views on the corresponding lines of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a. view in side elevation with the insert in place.

Fig. 9 is a view in rear elevation of Fig. 8.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown a portion of a machine gun of the Browning type, Model 1917, comprising a receiver casing 5 having a transversely disposed feedway or channel 8 for passage of a belt 1 carrying cartridges 8. The gun includes an axially movable breech bolt 9 which is provided with an extractor In for withdrawing a cartridge from the belt. The bolt serves in a well known manner to cause actuation of a feed slide (not shown) which moves the belt 1 through the feedway. The right hand plate of the receiver casing of the original gun carries a pair of members II and I2 constituting respectively a front and rear cartridge stop. The left hand plate includes a bracket 83 formed with recesses M, 85, and [6, the center recess l5 receiving a belt-holding pawl I! which is mounted on a split pin 88 inserted in an aperture extending longitudinally of the recessed bracket.

A block I9 inserted in the front of the feedway -and resting on the floor thereof is conveniently held in place by means of a depending lug 20 inserted in the front recess ll of the bracket and mounted on the pin l8 and also by means of the original front cartridge stop II which is received in a recess 2| in the corresponding end of the 5 block. The block is cut out to provide a passage 22 for the bullet B and the front part of the cartridge case 8, and a wall 23 at the end of the passage serves as a stop to arrest the cartridge in the proper position for withdrawal from the 10 belt by the extractor.

The front wall 24 of the passage has a forwardly flared entrance surface 25 which is adapted to be engaged by the nose of the bullet 8 and which serves to guide the ammunition belt and insure the proper longitudinal position of the cartridge as it is moved through the feedway and towards the stop wall 23. The top wall 26 has an upwardly flared entrance surface 21 which is adapted to be engaged by the bullet and which serves to guide the cartridge to its proper vertical position. The bottom wall 28 has a rounded entrance edge 29 to afford a smooth entry of the bullet into the feedway.

The rear edge 30 of the bottom wall forms a shoulder and has its outer or entrance portion 3! flared forwardly in conformity to the flare of the surface 25 of the front wall and is adapted to be engaged by the front end of the cartridge case. A shoulder 32 is formed in the top wall and is in the same vertical plane as the rear edge 30 of the bottom wall. Its forwardly flared entrance portion 33 is also flared upwardly and in conformity to the upwardly flared surface 21.

The portion of the block in rear ofthe shoulder 32 forms a lip 34 whose under face 35 is adapted to engage the front part of the cartridge case and has an upwardly flared entrance portion 36 corresponding to the flared portion 33 of the shoulder 32 and to that part of the flared surface 2'! that is directly in front of the shoulder.

The rear face 31 of the lip isadapted to be engaged by the cartridge belt 1' which may be of fabric or metallic disintegrating link construction. The outer or entrance portion 38 .of the rear face is flared forwardly andupwardly and this surface 38 is conveniently provided by merely cutting off the outer corner of the lip as will be evident from an inspectionof Fig. 3.,

' A block, constructed as described, will have sur- 50 faces that are engaged by the nose of the bullet and the front ends of the cartridgecase and belt to guide and position the cartridge longitudinally of the feedway and it will have surfaces that are engaged by the bullet and cartridge case to guide 55 and position the cartridge vertically of the feedway so that when the cartridge is brought to rest by the stop wall 23 its groove will be in the correct position for reception of the extractor. The engagement of the block with the front end of the cartridge case prevents the cartridge from being driven forwardly by the extractor as the latter rides over the base of the cartridge when the breech bolt arrives in battery.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the passage 22 may be closed by an insert 39 to prevent the feeding of a ball cartridge while permitting the feeding of a blank cartridge of the type that is not provided with a paper or wooden bullet; This insert may be made to conform to the passage 22 and is conveniently held in place by a pin 40. The rear face ll of the insert will conform to the shoulders 32 and the rear edge of the bottom wall and accordingly it will have a forwardly flared surface 42 which may be engaged by the front end of the blank cartridge and cooperate with the shoulder 32 and rear edge 30 in determining the correct longitudinal position of the cartridge. The under face 35-36-of the lip 34 will determine the correct vertical position of the cartridge.

While the block is provided with means for engaging various portions of the cartridge or belt and a plurality of surfaces are used for obtaining the proper longitudinal and vertical position of the cartridge in the feedway, it is desired to point out that these surfaces may be employed separately.

I claim:

1. In an automatic flrearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, the front wall of the passage having a forwardly flared entrance portion, the bottom wall of the passage having a rear face forming a shoulder with a forwardly flared entrance portion, the top wall having an upwardly flared entrance portion and having a shoulder disposed in the vertical plane of the shoulder of the bottom wall and having an upwardly flared entrance portion, a lip on the block in rear of the top shoulder, the under surface of the lip having an upwardly flared entrance portion and the rear face of the lip having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion, and a member selectively insertable in the passage and having a rear face conforming to the shoulders.

2. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall. the front wall of the passage having a forwardly flared entrance portion, the bottom wall of the passage having a rear face forming a shoulder with a forwardly flared entrance portion, the top wall having an upwardly flared entrance portion and having a shoulder disposed in the vertical plane of the shoulder of the bottom wall and having an upwardly flared entrance portion, a lip on the block in rear of the top shoulder, the under surface of the lip having an upwardly flared entrance portion and the rear face of the lip having 'a forwardly and upwardly flared 'entrance portion.

3. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, the bottom wall of the passage having a rear face forming a shoulder with a forwardly flared entrance portion, the top wall having an upwardly flared entrance portion and having a shoulder disposed in the vertical plane of the shoulder of the bottom wall and having an upwardly flared entrance portion, a lip on the block in rear of the top shoulder, the under surface of the lip having an upwardly flared entrance portion and the rear face of the lip having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion.

4. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, the front wall of the passage having a forwardly flared entrance portion, the bottom wall of the passage having a rear face forming a shoulder with a forwardly flared entrance portion, the top wall having an upwardly flared entrance portion and having a shoulder disposed in the vertical plane of the shoulder of the bottom wall and having an upwardly flared entrance portion.

5. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, the front wall of the passage having a forwardly flared entrance portion, the top wall of the passage having an upwardly flared entrance portion, a lip on the block, the under surface of the lip having an upwardly flared entrance portion and the rear face of the lip having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion.

6. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, the front wall of the passage having a forwardly flared entrance portion, a shoulder in the bottom wall having a forwardly flared entrance portion, a shoulder in the top wall having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion, and a lip on the block in rear of the topshoulder, the under surface of the lip having an upwardly flared entrance portion, and the rear face of the lip having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion.

7. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, the front wall of the passage having a forwardly flared entrance portion, a shoulder in the bottom wall having a forwardly flared entrance portion, a shoulder in the top wall having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion, and a lip on the block in rear of the top shoulder, and the under surface of the lip having an upwardly flared entrance portion.

8. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway, and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, the top wall of the passage having an upwardly flared entrance portion, a shoulder in the top wall having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion, and a lip on the block in rear of the shoulder, the under surface of the lip having an upwardly flared entrance portion and the rear face of the lip having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion.

9. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway, and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, the top wall of the passage having an upwardly fiared entrance portion, a shoulder on the top wall having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion, and a lip on the block in rear of the shoulder, and the under surface of the lip having an upwardly flared entrance portion.

10. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, a shoulder in the top wall having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion, a shoulder in the bottom wall and having a forwardly flared entrance portion and a lip in rear of the top shoulder and having an under surface with an upwardly flared entrance portion.

11. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, a shoulder in the top wall having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion, and a lip in rear of the top shoulder and having an under surface with an upwardly flared entrance portion.

12. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage ending in a stop wall, said passage adapted to receive the bullet and the front part of the case of a cartridge fed through the feedway, a shoulder in the top wall having a forwardly and upwardly flared entrance portion, a shoulder in the bottom wall and having a forwardly flared entrance portion, said shoulders adapted to be engaged by the front edge of the cartridge case.

13. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a. transverse passage adapted to receive the bullet and the front part of the case of a cartridge fed through the feedway, means on the block for engaging the front edge of the cartridge case to determine its longitudinal position in the feedway and means on the block for engaging both the case and the bullet of the cartridge to determine its vertical position in the feedway.

14. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage adapted to receive the front part of the case of a cartridge passing through the feedway, means on the block for engaging the front edge of the cartridge case to determine its longitudinal position in the feedway and means on the block for engaging the front part of the case to determine its vertical position in the feedway.

15. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage adapted to receive the front part of the case of a cartridge passing through the feedway and means on the block for engaging the case and determining the longitudinal and vertical position of the cartridge in the feedway.

16. In an automatic firearm, a receiver casing having a transverse cartridge feedway, a block in the front end of the feedway and having a transverse passage adapted to receive the bullet of a cartridge fed through the feedway, a rearwardly extending lip on the block adapted to be engaged by the front part of the case of a cartridge, and a member selectively insertable in the passage of the block forwardly of the lip and having a rear face adapted to be engaged by the front end of a blank cartridge fed through the feedway.

SAMUEL G. GREEN- 40 

